Week Ending - 2019/02/24

BADGERS of the WEEK



BENNETT STARS AT BRIGHTON AS SIX NEW CLUB RECORDS GET SET

The Badgers half marathon club record fell for the second time in seven days as Ryan Bennett produced arguably the best performance of his career to date in taking Damo Taylor’s stunning 75:11 from last Sunday’s Wrexham half to Chinatown. Racing at the fast and flat Brighton half marathon, the 27-year-old Bennett set off at a rip-roaring tempo and went through ten miles some three minutes inside Danny Warren’s club record! With fatigue setting in, the Hartshill man hung on to finally cross the line in an exceptional time of 72:39, a Championship-standard qualifying time and a personal best to boot. His finish position of 22nd was again magnificent in a real high calibre race where Bennett, running for MacMillan Cancer Support, was first charity runner back in a field of more than 7,000. His new club record was one of six that were set on a super Sunday, with weather conditions ideal for fast times.

At the Stilton 7 league race, Badgers men began the defence of their county champions title over at far flung Melton Mowbray in great style. Despite missing their talisman Bennett and the speedy but lightly-raced Taylor, the side saw a tremendous turnout of some 43 runners across both genders and it was 44-year-old Chris Horton who provided the surprise package of the day as in finishing 4th male, equalled the record for the highest finishing position for a Badger in a Leicestershire Road Running League event following Danny Warren’s feat at Desford in 2017 and Bennett’s identical placing at the Joy Cann 5 of the same season. His time of 40:10 (PB) was just two seconds off second and helped him secure a new V40 club record too. Team mate Chris Baxter has been flying of late and he stormed home as 9th male in a PB of 40:29 with Badger of the Year Aaron Chetwynd also in the top ten men in 40:42 (PB).

Dave McGowan has shown considerable improvement over the winter and his hard work was fully rewarded here with a career best 14th place finish in a rapid time of 41:19. Danny Warren battled hard in 43:47 with Mark Repton (44:26) and Jon Vardy (44:36 – PB) both cashing in on their recent industrious training with top 50 placings. Super-vet Sam Starkey (45:11) made light of his recent hamstring trouble to round up the club counters allowing Jimmy Dewis to bring home the B team who were dominant in their division. Stefan Martin produced a magnificent PB in 49:10 with Matt Green, Cameron Barnes, Rob Boland and Ian Orton all doing well. Simon Currier (55:20) weighed in a with an impressive new personal best as did darting veteran Paul Grubb (55:53). 65-year-old Alan Argyle was next over the line, improving his own V60 club record down to an outrageous 56:37, the third club record to go on a day of surprises. Stuart Youngs, Adam McElhone, John Dulson, John Hanson, John Devenney and David Dugmore all performed well before Paul Cooper rounded off the action in 84:19.

The ladies side saw their numbers boosted by the return of skipper Sarah Jane Chetwynd who ran a PB of 61:25 but it was veteran club founder Nivette Chester who stole the show as she led the lasses back in 51:46, 32nd female and a new club best, eclipsing Monika Lampart’s record by just two seconds as well as setting a new V40 benchmark. Cheryl Dewis produced a sparkling new PB in 53:16 with Emma Masser following suit in 55:29 and Charlene Dunn looking good in 55:47. The classy Esther Holyoak and the intellectual Emma Vardy rounded up the scorers for the ladies A side with former captain Rachael Warren leading a spirited performance from the B team who saw Judy Parkes and Maggi Savin-Baden play starring roles. Multi-sport icon Helena Rean laid down her golf clubs for the morning to go about setting an impressive new V60 club record, the final one of a busy morning in 66:25 while Leesa Dennis (67:04), Zoe Cope (67:04) and Ann-Marie Currier (67:26) all blitzed new personal bests on a course with plenty of up and down. Bev Spencer (70:34) and Vikki Smith (72:45) both earned quality new personal bests while Charlotte Oliver, Lisa Barnes and Anne Devenney all made it a memorable opening day in the 2019 league campaign for the north Warwickshire outfit.

Far away from home, four Badgers tackled different distances at the TransGranCanaria endurance event with Mark Cox bagging an impressive 129th place in the marathon. Set over gruelling terrain in warm conditions, his time of 5:04 was not to be sniffed at. Colin Lees had a baptism of fire as he bravely undertook his first marathon. He emerged emotional, in a sterling time 6:46. Skipper Adi Payne was going well until an ankle injury put paid to his race while Si Gilbert covered some 40 miles before being forced to drop out of the 80-mile ultra-event. Over the somewhat shorter distance of 5K, Chris Baxter was in fine fettle as he sped to a marvellous 16:33 in the Derby Midweek event and with it a fine 7th place as his scintillating form continues. Gavin Crockwell, Yvonne Faulkner and Paul Bruce all survived the 16.45-mile 1645 race at Naseby on Sunday.

Parkrun may have been overshadowed by events on the Sunday but there was still no shortage of quality performances. Sam Starkey was the highest placed male athlete as he finished 11th at Kingsbury Water Park in 19:17. The hard-drinking Scot Dave Jackson was brave, maybe a little too brave as he dipped under 20 minutes for the first time since March last year. Tim Gould, Mark Repton, Matt Green and Carl Holyoak all went well. John Hanson scored the best graded run of his life in 20:55 while Gavin Crockwell’s star shone brightly, the flamboyant self-styled Steed of Speed helping himself to one of four PB’s on the day in 20:59. Veteran Nivette Chester was first back for the ladies in 22:08 and 4th female overall. Esther Holyoak, Rachael Shelton and Emma Masser (22:48 – PB) all bagged top ten spots too. Lee Millership ran a top notch 22:37 to record a new PB over 5K while other runners included Wayne Repton, Chris Upton, Carl Savage, Merv Jones (24:23 – PB), Sharon Jackson, David Craig, John Devenney, Evie Whitehead, Shaun Coyle, Matt Jackson, Amanda Gould, Nicola Stanley, Amy Stredder and Peter Black. Also running were David Bailey, the legendary Leesa Dennis, Alan Argyle, Helen Morgan, Andy Venney, Lil Souter and Holly Matts.

On the road, the ever-dependable Eamon Thawley was first Badger back at Rugby in 26:54. Andy Smith took the brakes off to freewheel to a wonderful new PB at Minehead in 23:57. Jon Davies featured at Worcester and Michael Bailey appeared at Burnham and Highbridge. Jenna Davies flew the flag at Churchfields and Richard Hill ran 25:56 at Bakewell. At Conkers, Graham Engley was in top form running 20:10 ahead of team mates Paul Restall and Karen Missen. Gail Gunn shot round at Bedworth in a PB time of 29:05 with Vicki Fowler watching from behind in awe at her stunning efforst.